Buckminster Fuller: Designing for Mobility

Hailed as one of the greatest minds of our times, Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) is known as an American visionary. Designer, architect, engineer, inventor, and philosopher, he was undeniably one of the key innovators of the 20th century.This volume provides a visually rich and complete overview of Fuller's design and architectural production, situating Fuller…
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Overview

Hailed as one of the greatest minds of our times, Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) is known as an American visionary. Designer, architect, engineer, inventor, and philosopher, he was undeniably one of the key innovators of the 20th century.This volume provides a visually rich and complete overview of Fuller's design and architectural production, situating Fuller's projects in their historical context. The book features never-before-published material from the Fuller archives that were recently donated to Stanford University.Michael John Gorman's essay offers an in-depth analysis of Fuller's work-focusing more attention on his innovative architectural projects than to other aspects of Fuller's "design science"-as well as an interesting perspective on post-war American society and architectural culture. Chapters include concepts of Fuller's philosophy, his manifesto for mass-produced housing, the role of mobile shelter in transforming behavior, geodesic domes, and Fuller's early experiments. Fuller's achievements, astonishing design, and production are fully documented using original and often unknown archival materials.

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

Many books have been written about designer, architect, engineer, and philosopher R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) and his visionary inventions, but Gorman, once associate curator of the Buckminster Fuller Collection at Stanford University Libraries, has written a book that features 253 photographs, drawings, and blueprints-many of them never before published-selected from Fuller's own archive. Gorman's overall theme is that Fuller's lightweight, self-sufficient buildings were meant to travel (his geodesic domes have actually been airlifted by military helicopters). Not merely prefabricated, they were planned to be assembled in factories, then flown to their sites. Gorman points out that while not regarded seriously in his youth, Fuller later received support from universities, corporations, and the military for his work. The text offers insight into some of Fuller's concepts, such as his manifesto for mass-produced housing and his thoughts on the role of mobile shelter in transforming behavior. The result is a worthy addition to collections needing more materials on Fuller.-David R. Conn, Surrey P.L., B.C. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.